Instruments are generally delivered to the recipient after necessary data have been printed thereon. For example, in cases of notes and checks, data such as the name of payer, the place of payment, the name of drawer, the place of drawing, the place of exchange, the name of the bank, the name of the bank branch, the account number or the like are printed thereon for each customer and they are delivered to the customer in the number that the customer requires.
These data usually include data consisting of visually recognizable characters, numerals, symbols, figures or the like and data consisting of magnetic ink recognition characters, numerals, symbols or the like (hereinafter referred to as "MICR character") or symbols such as barcodes (hereinafter referred to collectively as "visually unrecognizable data").
The "visually unrecognizable data" is recognizable as a symbol (such as a bar code), having a generally understood function, but such a symbol cannot generally be "read" or "recognized" by an ordinary person without the use of a reading device.
From the viewpoint of the nature of such instruments errors in the printing of these data are tollally inadmissible and, therefore, it is indispensable to judge after printing whether or not the data are exactly printed.
Although such judgment can be relatively easily made as to the data consisting of visually recognizable characters, numerals, symbols, figures or the like, since it is impossible to judge whether the visually unrecognizable data are exactly printed, unless they are read out by an independent reading-out apparatus after the instrument has been made out, it is troublesome to make such judgment.